Lenora Johnson

Lenora Johnson, DrPH, MPH directs the science policy, engagement, health education and public facing communications initiatives of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood, Institute (NHLBI).  This office rests within the NHLBI Office of the Director (OD) and supports as well as coordinates the public facing messaging and information delivery channels on behalf of the enterprise.  In addition, the office, referred to as OSPEEC, enables NHLBI's ability to develop and provide accurate, scientifically-based disease-specific, research-oriented, and evidenced-based information to patients and their family members, the public, health professionals, researchers, policy makers, and other stakeholders through use of multiple media and digital platforms. 

Dr. Johnson joined NHLBI at the end of 2013 having spent her most recent tenure at NIH with the National Cancer Institute as the director for communications and education for more than a decade of leadership service to that Institute.  For close to 30 years she directed initiatives focusing on translating scientific information for use by those for whom it stands to benefit most. This passion has supported issues related to minority health, research dissemination, reducing health disparities, global surveillance of health risk behaviors, broadening states’ capacity for social marketing, and capacity building for health promotion and public health education programming and health behavior risk reduction. She has extensive experience in working at the national and local levels translating health information into materials, messages, and interventions that reach the most vulnerable populations.  These experiences expand settings from health care delivery systems to non-traditional community-based organizations.  Her programs have been implemented through the Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, DC, the Directors of Health Promotion, the American Public Health Association, the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan, the American Cancer Society and numerous partnership efforts with community-based organizations serving diverse constituents and stakeholders.

Dr. Johnson’s research concentration is in behavioral sciences.  She is professionally trained in health promotion, health marketing, and communication science.  Her practice emphasis rests in the application of theory and evidence in the development, implementation, and evaluation of communication and education programs, products, tools and applications.